An agent that works on its own will reach a point where it needs a person. It might need a decision, a missing detail or a go-ahead. There are three common ways to reach you at that point. This page compares them fairly, so you can pick the one that fits how you work.
Summary verdict
Terminal prompts are the simplest option and work well when you sit at the machine. Messages from a script are flexible and reach you anywhere, but you build the reply path. Push questions from Notifex suit the case where the agent runs while you are away and you want to answer in one tap.
Side-by-side comparison
| Criterion | Notifex push questions | Terminal prompts | Chat or email from a script |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reaches you away from your desk | Yes. The question arrives as a push notification on your iPhone. | No. You have to be at the machine, or watching the session. | Yes. Messages reach whatever app or inbox you already carry. |
| Structured answers | Single-select, multi-select or free text. Up to 10 questions in one push. | Free text typed at a prompt, or a yes/no style choice the tool offers. | Plain text by default. Buttons or parsing are something you build. |
| Agent waits and resumes | Yes. The agent blocks on the question and carries on with your answer. | Yes, while the session stays open and someone is there to answer. | Only if you build the reply path and the waiting logic yourself. |
| Setup effort | Install the iPhone app, then add one MCP entry to your agent. | None. It is built into the tool you already run. | Create an account or token, write the send code, and handle replies. |
| Attachments | Agents can send images, video and documents: up to 10 files, 10 MB each. | Whatever you can read in the terminal. Files stay on that machine. | Depends on the service. Often possible, with extra code. |
| Cost | Free on the App Store. | Free. | Depends on the service you pick. |
Reaching you away from your desk
A terminal prompt lives in the session. If you close the laptop or leave the room, the agent stops at the prompt and nobody sees it. That is fine when you are watching. It is a stall when you are not.
A chat or email message from a script reaches you wherever you read those apps. Notifex sends a push notification to your iPhone. Both get the question in front of you. The difference is what happens next.
Structured answer types
A terminal prompt takes whatever you type. A script message is text, and any reply is text you must parse. That works for simple cases and gets brittle when the agent needs a clean choice.
Notifex questions come in three types: single-select, multi-select and free text. An agent can also ask up to 10 questions in one push, so you answer a short checklist instead of ten separate pings.
Waiting and resuming
A terminal prompt waits as long as the session is open. A script that only sends a message does not wait at all unless you write that part. With Notifex, the agent asks and blocks until you answer. It can also check back later, so a long absence does not lose the question.
This is the main reason to pick a tool built for the job. Waiting and resuming is the hard part, and it is the part you would otherwise write yourself.
Setup effort
Terminal prompts need no setup. They come with the tool. That is a real advantage, and for short sessions at your desk nothing beats it.
A script that sends chat or email needs an account or token, send code and a way to read replies. Notifex needs the iPhone app and one MCP entry in your agent. Notifex works with Claude Code and the Claude.ai connector.
Attachments
Sometimes the answer depends on something you need to see: a screenshot, a log, a short recording. In a terminal, the file stays on the machine. Many chat and email services accept attachments, with extra code on your side.
Notifex agents can send images, video and documents with a question or message. The limit is 10 files and 10 MB per file. Files go to private, encrypted storage.
Who should choose what
Choose terminal prompts if
You run short sessions and stay at the machine. You want zero setup. You rarely walk away mid-run.
Choose chat or email from a script if
You only need a one-way notice, such as a finished run. Or you already have a messaging setup and are happy to build reply handling.
Choose Notifex push questions if
Your agent runs while you are away. It reaches decisions it should not make alone. You want a clean choice, a pause, and a resume on your answer.
These are not exclusive. Many people keep terminal prompts for work at the desk and add Notifex for the runs they leave alone.